CHANGES IN LONDON

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 128, 26 November 1938, Page 26

CHANGES IN LONDON

In the last three years the Town Planning Committee of the London County Council has changed the names of 1867 " streets, lanes, and alleys, or over one-fifth of the total criss-crossing the metropolitan area, says the "New York Times." Some respect has been paid to the sentiments of the population against changes, but not in the majority of cases. Irrespective of all sentiment, the project of changes was inaugurated to help the postal and fire brigade services. It is not so much a matter of changing names as it is of inventing new ones, for on the list calling for such inventions are twenty High Streets, sixty-seven Church Streets, and nine Lovers' Lanes. Residents have several ways of objecting. Every affected occupier is notified by the sub-committee of the Town Planning Committee, and objection can be entered either in writing, by petition, or by a can at County Hall. If, after hearing objections, the sub-committee decides to proceed with the change,, it must report to the full committee, and a further opportunity'is presented for objectors to state their case. They can also enlist the aid of their borough .ouncil, which itself has the right to object. There is no necessity for a property owner to alter the deeds. In the event of doubt he can go to County Hall and for a fee of Is inspect the street register, which shows both the old and the new names. A certificate of the change for attachment to the deeds can be obtained for ss.

THE British Government's policy of "non-intervention" in the Spanish War has wrought havoc in the sphere of British Imperial strategy, says an article printed in "The Week" and drawn from the "Pariser Tages-Zeitung." Indicative of this is the fact that the naval and! military authorities "in the know" are now discussing in all seriousness the advisability of abandoning Gibraltar in the event of war in the Mediterranean. Recently a comprehensive report of the findings and conclusions of British agents investigating the situation was received in London. In spite of the fact that certain of the more incredulous elements wished to dismiss the report in its entirety as "alarmist nonsense, sir," it was, and still is, being given the very closest attention.

It has been revealed that one of the first things the General Staff of the German Expeditionary Corps in Spain did at the beginning of the civil war was to establish heavy artillery on the African coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. Since *ttien these formations have been modernised, strengthened, and improved. The munitions depots, motorised ground works, and safety cellars offer the highest degree of. pro-